There's More Than One Way to Say I love you
by Writingnerd291
Summary: The times when the relationship between Jason and Reyna progressed until it all disappeared.


**I don't own PJO or HoO!**

* * *

"Get out of the way, Reyna!" Jason shouted as the monster approached her. But the ferocious daughter of Bellona disregarded the son of Jupiter. Instead, she waited. She was ready to strike and kill the monster, but Jason had no way of knowing that. So, he did the only logical thing in his twelve-year-old mind. He shoved her out of the way of the approaching monster and took the hit himself.

Reyna then made short work of the monster before she whirled on Jason. "You idiot!" She screamed. "I was just about to kill that monster! Why in Jupiter's name would you shove me like that? I had that monster, Grace."

He watched her seriously. "Well I didn't know that, you didn't tell me that you had it. I thought that you froze in fear, _Probatio_." He told her derisively. She scowled at the reminder that he had a higher rank than her.

Then, she scanned his body. "Did it hit you?"

"A small scratch on my side." Jason replied with a wince. In a moment, Reyna pulled up his SPQR T-shirt to get a better look at the wound.

"You'll be fine. You just need some nectar and maybe some of that unicorn stuff." She said after a moment. She returned her gaze to his face, and her features softened. "Why did you take that hit?"

"I'd sacrifice a few injuries to save a fellow legionnaire's life, Reyna. Especially yours." Jason said simply. "Wouldn't anyone do that?" he asked.

Reyna watched him with a bemused look on her face. "No, not everyone." She grabbed a bottle of nectar and handed it to him. Once he drank a few sips and they could see the scratch begin to heal itself, Reyna stowed the nectar back in her backpack. "And for the record, I'd sacrifice a few injuries for you too, Jason."

* * *

The now thirteen-year-old Jason Grace stood proudly in the arena. "I won!" He exclaimed and shared a victorious grin with Bobby and Dakota. "I finally beat Reyna! I beat the daughter of Bellona in a fight!"

Reyna stood up and grinned at the boasting son of Jupiter. "Not quite, I let you win that round." She replied steadily.

Jason, shocked, stared at her in horror. "What?"

"Bobby told me that I was killing your morale by continuously beating you. He and Dakota said that they'd give me twenty-three _denarii_ if I let you win."

"What?" Jason asked again. "I didn't actually win?"

Reyna scoffed. "I'm the daughter of Bellona, Jason. Even if I've only been at Camp for a year and a half, I'm way better than you. Besides, my _pilum_ has a longer range than your _gladius_."

"What?" Jason asked again in utter shock. Behind him, Bobby and Dakota high-fived.

"Sorry, Grace. But if it makes you feel any better, you've still earned my respect through all of this. Even if you didn't really beat me, I watched you practice for extra hours for months so that you could get close. And honestly, that was almost a close fight. Maybe next time, when there isn't any money on the line." Reyna grinned at him and then walked passed the three legionnaires from the Fifth Cohort.

"I respect you too!" Jason called after her. He pointedly ignored Bobby's and Dakota's teasing in the background.

* * *

Fourteen-year-old Reyna grinned as she received her Centurion medal. Her comrades-in-arms cheered and beat their _gladii_ against their shields. Praetor Caitlyn offered Reyna a rare smile as she handed her the gleaming gold medal. "Make Rome proud, Centurion Ramírez-Arellano."

"I will."

"Now that that's over with, can we move on to the matter of the quest?" Praetor Jonathon asked. "Obviously, since Reyna is now eligible as a Centurion, she is the obvious choice to lead the quest."

There were many murmurs among the Senators. "The auguries _did_ call for a child of Bellona to lead the quest. So it has to be Reyna. She is the only child of Bellona who's currently a member of the Legion." A retired legionnaire stated.

Caitlyn nodded. "Right. And obviously the auguries mention a child of the sky, which has to apply to Jason Grace. He's the only child of Jupiter in Camp Jupiter." She turned to Reyna and Jason, who were sitting beside each other in the front seats of the Senate house. "So, who do you two want to bring?"

"Bobby." Jason said.

At the same time, however, Reyna said, "Veronica Mathews, legionnaire of the Third Cohort."

The Praetors looked at them in amusement. "Stephen Lewis, as a legacy of Venus, will be very useful when bargaining with the Lord of the Winds. He might even be useful in sedating the sea monster so that we can retrieve its treasure." Reyna reported. "I believe that he is the best candidate to accompany us on our quest to find the Trojan sea monster."

The eyes of the Senators turned to Jason. "I support Reyna's decision." He said. "Stephen Lewis should be the one to go on the quest with us."

The decision was made, and then other important –but boring –details about New Rome and Camp Jupiter's borders were discussed. When the Senate meeting was finally over, Jason and Reyna exited the building and talked about the quest. "So, do you really support my decision to bring Stephen? Or do you really think that Bobby would have been the better choice?"

Jason shrugged. "Bobby's one of my best friends. Of course I want to bring him along on this quest. But as the Centurion, you're the leader of this quest. Besides, I think you're right. Veronica _is_ the better option for this quest."

Reyna nodded. "Any other reason?" She asked carefully.

Jason smiled slightly. "Yeah. I'll always support your decisions, Reyna. You know that." He said seriously. Something about his statement made Reyna's heart flutter, but she ignored it. Now was not the time to get sappy over a few friendly words, she told herself.

"Yeah, same here." She said finally as she shoved down the fluttering in her stomach and the loud beating of her heart.

* * *

She was losing blood fast. She was vaguely aware of Jason leaning over her. She was so delirious that she wasn't sure if Jason was _actually_ pulling off his T-shirt to help staunch the bleeding or if she was just imagining things. "You'll get through this Reyna, I know it." He said seriously.

She felt a stinging pain as nectar was poured over her wounds, and then she felt as though she was floating. A bottle was brought to her lips, and she drank greedily before it was tugged out of her grasp. "Not too much, Rey. We don't want you bursting into flames and exploding." Jason cautioned.

"Right." Reyna replied as she gained a little clarity.

"Okay, this is really going to sting. Unicorn powder always does." Jason told her as he pulled out a pouch of the magical medicine from his pocket.

"I know. Just use it already, Jason." She said through clenched teeth. Now that everything was clearer, she could definitely feel the pain of her wound. And it was bad.

He dusted the powder on her abdomen. "Why did you do that, Rey? Why would you take that hit for me?"

"You protected me once, Jason." She said, remembering back when they were twelve. "I figured it was about time I repaid the favor."

Jason scowled at her. "No, Reyna. No. Don't you dare die on my, Reyna. Don't you dare die."

"Jason…" Reyna replied. "There are monsters everywhere. And where are we? This isn't where I remember passing out."

"We're higher up the mountain. We're hiding inside Mount Othrys." Jason replied grimly. "Krios isn't far, neither is Kronos' throne."

"I can't help you fight him like we planned, Jason." She stated. "Not in this state. I'd be more hurt than help. You'd be too busy worrying about me to focus on Krios."

He nodded. "Don't worry about it. Just stay here. I'll protect you, Reyna." When she scowled at him, he smiled down at her. "I'll always protect you, Reyna. I swear it on the _Iuppiter Lapis_." Thunder rumbled, and Reyna, aghast, stared at him in shock. (1)

"Take that back right now, Jason Grace."

"Can't, I already swore. I'll be punished by Orcus if I take it back or break the oath." Jason replied steadily.

"Jason, that kind of an oath…" Reyna replied. "You can't possibly keep it. Something can always happen. If anything happens to me at all and you don't stop it, you'll be punished forever by Orcus."

He nodded seriously. "I meant what I said, Reyna. I'll protect you." He smiled and moved some of her hair out of her face. "Just stay here. I'll come back for you after I fight Krios. Then I'll get you to the infirmary where the medics can get a good look at you and clean up your wounds."

"Jason…" Reyna said again. "You're such an idiot."

"I know. Some days I'm as stupid as a _Graecus_. Really, you should stop saying that." Jason smiled as he talked. The color was slowly coming back to Reyna's face, and the wounds across her body were knitting themselves back together.

Reyna smiled slightly. "Yeah, it's getting to be an insult to the Greeks."

Jason's eyes twinkled with laughter, but then he regained his usual stern expression. "Time for me to go off to battle, Rey." He said. "Kiss me for luck? It's an old Roman tradition."

"I can't move, idiot. Otherwise I'll tear open all of these injuries again. But if you defeat Krios, I'll make it up to you."

"Right. I'll be going, then."

She nodded. "Right. I'll be here. Stay safe, Jason."

"I will." Then, Jason turned to the two dogs. "Argentum, protect Reyna at all costs. Aurum, you're coming with me this time."

The two metal dogs –recently given to Reyna from Bellona as a congratulatory gift for being made praetor –nuzzled each other before following orders. The two golden boys –Jason and Aurum –walked out of the alcove and towards the Titan while silver Argentum remained with the injured Praetor of New Rome.

* * *

There was a garden between the two Praetorian villas, and it quickly became one of Jason Grace's favorite places to relax after a long day's work doing different Praetorian stuff. Usually, he and Reyna sat in the grass and stared up at the stars or something. Usually, they didn't talk. But tonight…

"Jason, what are you going to do about that oath? If anything happens…" Reyna worried. Unlike usual, she was staring at Jason.

"Nothing will happen, Reyna." He replied. "I'm committed to you, you know that I am." Jason watched her sharp features for her reaction. "You?"

Reyna watched him carefully before she began to speak very slowly, " _Ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia ibi_." (2)

"Where you are…" Jason began to translate before he cut himself off. "You don't mean that. I don't mean that. We're being silly."

Reyna raised an eyebrow. "Are we? You've already sworn away your soul anyways." She reminded him.

"I didn't sell my soul, Reyna."

"Right. You just swore a binding oath in a vague way in front of the lawmaking part of your father. An oath which allows Orcus to punish you should you break it once you die and go to Orcus."

Jason shuddered. "But Reyna, an oath like that is one thing. This… this is something else entirely."

Reyna nodded and cleared her throat. "Right. I think that I must have had too much wine at the party tonight. I should probably get to bed. Good night, Jason."

She stood up and walked towards her villa. "Reyna, wait!" Jason called after her. But the daughter of Bellona didn't turn around. "Reyna!"

Just as she reached the door, Jason caught up to her. "Do you need something, Jason?" She asked calmly. "If not, I believe that we both had too much to drink tonight. We should probably just sleep it off."

Jason smiled slightly. They had each had one glass of wine. Hardly enough to get drunk. But Reyna, wonderful Reyna, was giving both of them an easy way out. " _Ubi tu Gaia, ego Gaius ibi_ ," (3) he said evenly.

Slowly, a smile spread on Reyna's lips. A nut –an almond –fell from the tree above them and hit Reyna in the top of the head. "I guess it's official." She said quietly.

"Yeah." Jason replied with a grin. "Well, goodnight. I'll see you in the morning, Reyna."

"See you in the morning, Jason." Jason grinned and jogged over to his own villa. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Reyna enter her villa and close the door behind her. He grinned goofily and entered his own villa.

As Jason fell asleep, all he could think about was Reyna. How it was official. Well, not official. There were all sorts of papers that had to be filled out, dumb ancient Roman rituals to be fulfilled, and all other sorts of things. But it was a start. A definite start to a serious commitment in his life. A commitment to Reyna. A commitment which Jason would have no problem keeping.

* * *

In the morning, when Jason didn't show up at morning muster, Reyna went to his villa to check on him. But instead of finding a slumbering son of Jupiter as she had hoped, Reyna found an empty villa and an unmade bed. Jason Grace was gone.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading this Five Things one-shot! Please review and tell me your thoughts.**

 **~Nerd**

 **1\. The** _ **Iuppiter Lapis**_ **was a stone which Romans swore on. It was part of Jupiter's role as a lawkeeper to oversee such oaths. Orcus, an early Roman and Etruskan god of the underworld and the dead, would punish those who broke these kinds of oaths. It's sorta like the Roman version of swearing on the Styx, but not quite (since it's Roman and all that).**

 **2\. Translates to "Where you are Gaius, there I am Gaia." It's pretty much the Roman version of a wedding vow. In Ancient Rome, the bride would say those words as a sign of her true consent and willingness to marry the groom.**

 **3\. Translates to "Where you are Gaia, there I am Gaius." It's usually what the groom would say in response to the bride's vow.**


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